Helical steam generator tube support

Abstract

A tube support structure for a helically coiled fluid heat exchanger including a plurality of support strips interconnected by a plurality of support members. Two tubes are nested between support members against a support strip, a spring plate is placed over the tubes and a second strip is pressed on the assembly to the desired spring pressure and affixed.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Ltrs. Pat. of the U.S. is: 
     
       1. A method of assembling a support structure for a heat exchanger having helically coiled tubes comprising the steps of: a. providing a plurality of longitudinally extending generally flat support plates having support members affixed to the longitudinal edges thereof and extending perpendicular from the plane thereof, the support members being longitudinally spaced to accept and nest the helically coiled tubes there between, the support plates being notched to mate with the support members of an adjacent plate, a plurality of spring plates, alternating successive support members having recesses to accept the edges of said spring plates, said spring plates being sized to engage said recesses of said alternating support members and having notches to accommodate remaining members and having generally flat portions separated by a corrugation,   b. positioning a first set of said plurality of support plates vertically extending and radially distributed about the center of the steam generator;   c. helically winding the heat exchanger tubing to nest between support members of said first set of plates;   d. positioning each of said plurality of springs by inserting a first spring edge in a pair of said recesses, snapping an opposing spring edge into an opposing pair of said recesses such that said corrugaton runs parallel to and bears against a pair of said plurality of tubes;   e. positioning a second set of support plates such that the notches thereof mate with the support members of said first set of support plates;   f. compressing said second set of plates to said first set of plates to compress said spring to a desired pressure;   g. affixing the support members of said first set of support plates to the notches of said second set of support plates; and   h. repeating steps c through g with a number of successive sets of support plates until the heat exchanger is fully assembled.   
     
     
       2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the support members of said first set of support plates are welded to the notches of said second set of support plates.